Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a zoom lens apparatus having a lens hood, and more particularly to such a zoom lens apparatus wherein the lens hood comprises a lens hood ring connected to an operating ring of the apparatus and is capable of movement along the optical axis together with similar movement of a zoom lens component, during the zooming operation, and is further capable of such movement together with similar movement of a focusing lens during the focusing operation.
In zoom lens devices the field angle is normally varied by moving the zoom lens component along the optical axis during the zooming operation. Regardless of the manner in moving the lens, such devices should be equipped with a lens hood ring movable along the optical axis relative to the fixed lens barrel or fixed frame of the device. And, depending on the field angle selected in the zoom lens system, it is important that the lens hood ring be movable along the optical axis relative to the fixed lens barrel in conjunction with movement of the focusing lens component during the focusing operation so as to prevent light rays (from any point outside the field angle) from coming into the focusing lens component.